The McCaffrey Audio Zero To Sixty Drive is an overdrive pedal released in April 2015. McCaffrey Audio describes it as integrating "cool, classic, overdrive tones heard on countless recordings" with many of the most requested after-market modifications, meaning the clipping and low-end tweaks players usually pay a modder to install are already on the board as switches1. The company says it produces "everything from just a touch of 'hair' to all out distortion," so it reaches into distortion territory as well as classic overdrive1.
Circuit and clipping options
At its core the Zero To Sixty Drive is, in McCaffrey Audio's words, a "Single dual op-amp with symmetrical clipping," the classic symmetrical overdrive arrangement familiar from decades of overdrive designs1. What sets it apart is the three-way SHIFT switch, which selects the clipping arrangement:
- Right position: stock symmetrical silicon clipping, the classic configuration1
- Middle position: no diodes at all, which reviewer Mike B calls "NO diodes for great amp push (Middle)," letting the pedal push the amp rather than clip internally2
- Left position: a mix of diodes in symmetrical clipping, described by Mike B as giving "a bit of a boost"2
That switch is the pedal's main selling point: instead of choosing between a stock overdrive and a modded one, you carry three clipping flavors in one box12.
The controls: Volume, Drive, Tone, Boost and Shift
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Increases or decreases the pedal's output level; Mike B notes "there's plenty to be had with the Zero To Sixty"12 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of gain; Mike B found it "really lets" the guitar's original sound come through at any setting2 |
| Tone | Focused strictly on the mid-range, adding or cutting mids for precise dialing in2 |
| Boost toggle | A simple low-end booster that "beefs up the bottom end if you so desire"2 |
| Shift toggle | Three-way switch selecting between the three clipping options described above2 |
The mid-focused Tone control is worth a note for players used to treble-roll-off tone stacks: rather than shaving highs, it adds or cuts mids, which changes how the pedal sits in a band mix2.
What reviewers said
Mike B's review at Pedal of the Day, published in May 2015, praised the two toggle switches, the mid-focused Tone control and the versatile clipping options. On the overall sound21:
"Even when this pedal is cranked up, it retains the characteristics of your guitar and amp really well, and the drive sounds are warm and meaty without being overly muddy or harsh."
Cosmetically, he noted the "bright blue enclosure will really make it pop" on a board, with a graphic design he described as "seemingly very race car-inspired"2.
Power and connections
The pedal runs on a standard 9V power supply with a 2.1mm negative center connector, the common center-negative format, so it suits normal pedalboard power1. Input and output jacks are Neutrik, which McCaffrey Audio lists as "standard on all of our pedals"1.
Videos
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Questions
What does each position of the Shift toggle on the Zero To Sixty Drive do?
The Shift toggle is a three-way switch that selects the clipping arrangement. The right position is the stock symmetrical silicon clipping. The middle position removes the diodes entirely, which Mike B at Pedal of the Day describes as great amp push. The left position uses a mix of diodes in symmetrical clipping for a bit of a boost. It is a way of carrying common clipping mods into one pedal.
Does the McCaffrey Zero To Sixty Drive use a 9V center-negative power supply?
Yes. McCaffrey Audio specifies a standard 9V power supply with a 2.1mm negative center connector, as announced in Premier Guitar. That is the standard center-negative format used across most pedalboards, so a regular supply or daisy-chain output should suit it.
Is the Zero To Sixty Drive based on a Tube Screamer circuit?
McCaffrey Audio describes it as a classic, symmetrical overdrive circuit with a single dual op-amp and symmetrical clipping, integrated with many of the most requested after-market modifications. The company does not name a specific circuit it is based on, though the symmetrical clipping and op-amp topology place it in the classic overdrive family alongside pedals like the Tube Screamer and Boss SD-1.
What does the Boost toggle on the Zero To Sixty Drive do?
The Boost toggle is a simple low-end booster. Mike B at Pedal of the Day describes it as beefing up the bottom end if you so desire, which is handy for thickening up single-coil guitars or keeping a lean amp from sounding thin when the drive is engaged.
Sources (2)
- McCaffrey Audio Releases the Zero to Sixty Drive, Premier Guitar, 2015-04-27
- McCaffrey Audio Zero To Sixty Drive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-05-09
